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View Full Version : Review: Marriot Hotel in Niagara Falls, ON



A790
02-18-2008, 11:09 PM
Coles Notes: Great service, excellent accomodations, and a terrific view, but be prepared to pay for it. Niagara Falls is something that you should see, even if it's only once.

Overall: 8.5/10

Room: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Dining: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10

My girlfriend and I decided that we needed a break from reality for a little while, and with Valentines Day being a great excuse to book a couple of nights somewhere, we jumped on the chance. With her recent cancer diagnosis and my "workingallthebloodytime" situation, it was nice to know that we had a few days to kick back, relax, and enjoy having someone else do all the crap we didn't want to do.

Niagara Falls is about 2.5hrs from London, and while I was seriously considering having a Limo takes us there (as I really didn't want to drive), I finally caved on driving. Off in the Talon we went.

We arrived around 4:30 pm- light enough that we could see our way around, but dark enough that the lights were starting to turn on. As it turns out, the falls are illuminated every evening from 6:30 until 10:00, 365 days a year. It's truly a sight to behold.

We had tickets to a buffet/Magic show at the Greg Frewin theatre (about a 7 minute drive from the Marriot), so I made sure that the car was valeted and taken care of. From the moment that I pulled in until the moment that we left on Monday (we arrived on Satureday), I was very impressed with the service staff and the genuine interest they seemed to have in providing a great environment and excellent service. Everyone, right down to the person that opened my car door for me, seemed really into their job.

Checking in was easy, and while I had originally booked the Jacuzzi/Fireplace Valentines Special ($299/night), I decided to upgrade to a room on the 23rd floor (the highest) as it had a better view of the falls (this room was $330/night). The room layout itself is pretty good, though the room is a bit small. The entrance shows a jacuzzi room on the left, with an attached (though seperated via doorway) toilet/shower room. There are shutters that open up to reveal the jacuzzi to the rest of the room. A large kingsized bedm armoir, television, and fireplace compelte the room (along with two chairs and a sidetable facing the window which overlooks the horseshoe falls).

While the room was a little smaller than we were expecting (for $330/night, anyway), we had plenty of space and did not feel cramped.

Our package included a complimentary bottle of sparkling white wine, a buffet breakfast at the sensational Terrapin Grill for Sunday and Monday morning, a $75 coupon for dinner at the Terrapin Grill (will talk more about that in a moment), as well as a shuttle pass that is good for both days (will talk about this as well). These coupons do help out quite a bit, and they make the $330/night seem a bit more reasonable.

The buffet dinner/magic show at the Frewin Theatre was excellent, and Greg Frewin himself is an excellent performer. The show is family friendly, though the humour is universal and will be enjoyed by all. The many years that Frewin spent in Vegas shows in his performance, which features some of the usual tricks (making birds appear, for example) as well as some others that I'll leave you the pleasure of discovering on your own.

Once we had left the theatre we retired to our hotel room, enjoyed the sparkling wine, and sat by the fireplace. A bit of an early evening, but both of us were tired from driving and other events that were going on (her sister in law was having a baby as well).

The next morning we woke up bright and early (9 AM, haha) and had brunch at the Terrapin Grill. The brunch selection is a bit smaller than most, but the quality is excellent and Rick (the omellete man) makes a fantastic omellete. After a very satisfying brunch, we went back up to our room and got ready to go on a tour of Niagra that we had booked the previous day ($119/person in the winter $149/person in spring/summer).

The tour went frmo 11:15 am until 4 pm, and covered all of the major sites: behind the falls, the bird aviary, the butterfly conservatory, as well as the iMax and the watchtower. A great tour, and our guide (Jeanie) really knew her stuff- her enthusiasm really showed in her tour. It could not have been better.

That evening we had dinner at the Terrapin Grill (reservations are required in advance) and treated ourselves to a great, though very pricey, dinner. For two people, with 2 drinks and a shared dessert, the bill reached $185 (the $75 coupon was great), though the food truly was excellent. We started off with the Calamari and Crab Cakes (and enjoyed them both), and then she had the Grilled Chicken Linguine Alfredo and I had the Lamb, done rare. Both entrees were fantastic, with the Lamb being a much more substantial and rewarding dish. Appeteizers range from $9 to $18, and entrees climb has high as $69.

After dinner we found our way to the Niagara Casino, where we soon found our wallets emptied of its contents. The casino is fabulous, though it IS a casino.

We retired back to our room some time just past 2 am. We awoke again for another excellent brunch, headed downtown for a quick ride on the Niagara Skywheel (a massive ferris wheel with heated/air conditioned cars) and enjoyed a magnificant view of the falls. It truly is breathtaking.

Conclusion:

Being born and raised in Alberta, I had never seen the falls. It is amazing. The sound, smell, and sight of the two falls (the American falls and the Canadian Horsehoe falls) are incredible. We enjoyed our brief stay so much that we will be back again in June, when the sun is out and the grass is green!

There is so much to do in Niagara- along with the sceni/touristy stuff, there is a lot of entertainment! The Ripleys 4D theatre, wax museums, arcades... you name it, it's there. Even Planet Hollywood has its own shop.

The Marriot is a great hotel, and while it does take a fair sized chunk out of your wallet, it leaves you feeling refreshed and relaxed- exactly what I needed.

ekguy
02-18-2008, 11:43 PM
yeah Niagara is great. I was there on a school trip back in the day. It's fun for sure. Would be nice to go back.

Trini
02-18-2008, 11:52 PM
went there on boxing day last year nice hotel.always great to see the falls.